What to watch on Apple TV Plus: 34 best shows streaming right now
Get charmed by recent arrival Land Of Women, gear up for a new season of Slow Horses, and more
![What to watch on Apple TV Plus: 34 best shows streaming right now](https://img.pastemagazine.com/wp-content/avuploads/2024/06/24093355/ea48ba2f7111521858512f06139fc8e0.jpg)
Apple TV+ quickly emerged as one of the most popular and reliable streamers with the breakout Emmy-winning hit Ted Lasso. But the platform offers so much more, such as powerhouse dramas (Silo, Pachinko), addictive thrillers (Slow Horses), and winning comedies (Shrinking). Unsure about what to watch? The A.V. Club has assembled this guide to the service’s best shows, which boasts timely picks such as the British gem Trying, which wrapped up its fourth season this month, and the charming recent arrival Land Of Women.
Note: This list is in alphabetical order. It was last updated on July 23, 2024. It will update monthly.
Stars: Eugenio Derbez, Damián Alcázar, Enrique Arrizon, Chord Overstreet, Camila Perez, Fernando Carsa, Vanessa Bauche, Jessica Collins
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3
Inspired by the 2017 film How To Be A Latin Lover, Apple TV+’s Acapulco is one of the rare bilingual comedies on the platform. The show follows Máximo Gallardo, who gets his dream job as the cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco, Mexico. But he soon realizes the job is far more demanding than he anticipated. A demanding clientele tends to do that.
Stars: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, John Cho, Ben Schwartz, Jamie Demetriou, Ilana Glazer, Ken Jeong, Paul Walter Hauser, Anna Konkle
Number of seasons:
Who doesn’t love an enticing, funny murder mystery? Chris Miller’s star-studded series follows Detective Danner (Haddish) as she investigates a crime—and is told through the perspectives of different characters and genres. The isn’t nearly as ace as the first, true, but it’s still a good time and is packed with some of our favorite comedy actors going for it.
Stars: Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eve Birthistle, Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Daryl McCormack, Brian Gleeson, Claes Bang
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1
Created by Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer, the tragicomedy is an instant standout. The show wrapped up its 10-episode first season in October 2022 and has already been renewed. It carries the trademark of Horgan’s filmography: It’s charming, dark, and often wicked. The Irish murder mystery follows four Garvey sisters as they get tangled up in an insurance investigation after the death of their brother-in-law, whom they may or may not have killed.
Stars: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Ray Liotta, Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear, Jake McLaughlin, Joe Williamson, Robert Diago DoQui, Trazi Lashawn, Robyn Malcolm, Laney Stiebing
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1
Jonesing for a tightly-paced, six-episode thriller? Inspired by James Keene’s book, In With The Devil, Black Bird follows crooked criminal Jimmy (Taron Egerton), who is living out a 10-year prison sentence. He gets an offer to go scot-free if he can use his charming ways to get fellow inmate Larry Hall (Hauser) to confess to being a serial killer. The two actors’ riveting chemistry and the creepy dialogue make Black Bird an un-skippable experience. As a bonus, Ray Liotta crushes it in his final onscreen appearance. As put in The A.V. Club‘s review: “Liotta proves why he’s a masterclass actor. His wide-eyed, evocative performance elevates Black Bird beyond depicting a harrowing true-crime saga.”
Stars: Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Christina Hendricks, Josh Dylan, Imogen Waterhouse, Simone Kirby, Matthew Broome
Number of seasons:
Stream it now: Edith Wharton’s famous unfinished novel gets yet another adaptation with The Buccaneers. It follows Annabel “Nan” St. George (Froseth), who moves to London after her friend gets married to a Lord. Along with some pals, she is sent there to find a husband. Instead, she ends up getting entangled in the complications of a love triangle and the English high society. The Buccaneers features great performances, even greater gowns, and some fun music choices—all of it to certainly remind you of Bridgerton.
Stars: Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3
Created by Loren Bouchard, along with Gad and Nora Smith, is a truly good time. The musical animated comedy centers on the Tillerman family, whose patriarch, Owen (Odom Jr.) is the park manager. Their lives revolve around Central Park, where they also live and have most of their adventures. But it’s all threatened by bitter real-estate entrepreneur Bitsy Brandenheim (Tucci), who wants to buy off the land to build more condos. Expect many, many beautifully weird original songs.
Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Adina Porter, Alexis Louder, Malcolm Barrett, Clark Backo, Jared Abrahamson, Samuel T. Herring
Number of seasons: 1
Based on Victor LaValle’s heartwrenching novel, The Changeling is a pretty great, nuanced horror fantasy drama. It follows used book dealer Apollo Kagwa (Stanfield), whose wife disappears after giving birth. His search across New York City to find her leads him to unexpected, possibly fairytale-like, and imaginative places. Here’s a snippet from The A.V. Club‘s review: “The Changeling’s secret weapon is its characterization, with each actor in this cast embodying their respective role so richly. They all feel real and warm so that the more fantastical elements of this story can land.”
Stars: Noel Fielding, Hugh Bonneville, Ellie White, Duayne Boachie, Mark Heap, Mark Wootton, Asim Chaudhry
Number of seasons: 1
This historical comedy follows the exploits of Dick Turpin (think a dandy Robin Hood), played by The Great British Bake-Off’s Fielding. Dick’s goal as the leader of a criminal gang is to turn into England’s greatest “highwayman,” a.k.a. someone who steals from travelers. But first, he has to evade being captured by a secret organization that’s after him, led by Bonneville’s Jonathan Wilde. If you’re a fan of Our Flag Means Death, this is the show for you.
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Hunt, Anya Baryshnikov, Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Amanda Warren
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3
Alena Smith’s Dickinson is the bold, surreal coming-of-age story of famed poet Emily Dickinson (Steinfeld). An audacious aspiring writer who doesn’t fit into the era she was born in, Steinfeld’s Dickinson conspicuously fights to break barriers to be a published author, even if it means rebelling against her strict parents or frequently talking to an imaginary figure known as Death. Dickinson also blooms as a love story for the ages between Emily and her best friend, Sue (Hunt), one that apparently inspired Taylor Swift’s best song yet, “ivy” from the album evermore. Now that’s how you do romance.
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, Julie Ann Emery, Adepero Oduye, Cornelius Smith Jr., Robert Pine, Molly Hager
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1
Based on Sheri Fink’s book of the same name, Five Days At Memorial is an often tough but enlightening watch that depicts the shattering difficulties faced by the doctors and nurses at a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As The A.V. Club’s review notes: “The eight-episode series is a gripping affair, an engrossing medical thriller that doubles as a powerful indictment of government and corporate inaction and outright neglect.”
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Krys Marshall, Jodi Balfour, Wrenn Schmidt, Sonya Walger, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, Casey W. Johnson, Nate Corddry
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 4
For All Mankind is one of the best dramas on Apple TV+. The alt-history sci-fi series follows NASA astronauts on a mission to reach the moon (and later, Mars!) in the ’70s after Russia won the initial Space Race. It’s a gripping, emotional workforce tale of the American dream that’s perfectly tied to the characters’ complex personal relationships. FAM also boasts some of the most appealing visual effects out there, whether it’s showing us a stunning lunar base, space flights, or the surface of the Red Planet. A fifth season (and a Russia-set spin-off) is on its way.
Stars: Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Leah Harvey, Lou Llobell, Terrence Mann, Alfred Enoch, Kubbra Sait, T’Nia Miller, Nimrat Kaur, Laura Birn
Number of seasons: 2
Based on Isaac Asimov’s stories, Foundation is an epic sci-fi saga that centers on a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to fight for their rights. Yes, the plot and multiple timelines get quite intricate, but the show features remarkable performances, cinematography, music, and direction to make it worth the journey. The series has been renewed for a third season.
Stars: Michael Douglas, Noah Jupe, Daniel Mays, Ludivine Sagnier, Jeanne Balibar
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1
Michael Douglas is transfixing as Benjamin Franklin in this miniseries, which chronicles the titular founding father’s quest to get France to back the States in the Revolutionary War. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club‘s review: “Even at 79, the Wall Street and Fatal Attraction actor is as dashing and charming a screen presence as ever. The casting is a fitting gamble for this surprisingly spry and prickly historical drama that shuttles between backstabbing backdoor diplomacy and sultry courtly intrigues.”
Stars: Eva Longoria, Carmen Maura, Victoria Bazúa, Santiago Cabrera, Gloria Muñoz, James Purefoy, Amaury Nolasco, Carla Campra
Number of seasons: 1
Land Of Women might just be the feel-good TV show you need right now. Set in a Spanish wine town, it’s a vibrant family dramedy with notes of rom-com and suspense thrown in for good measure. In the series, Eva Longoria plays Gala Scott, a wealthy New York housewife who finds a new lease on life and reconnects with her mother and teen daughter in their ancestral home overseas. The six-episode first season concludes July 24.
Stars: Suraj Sharma, Sherilynn Fenn, John Ortiz, Zachary Quinto, Mélanie Laurent, Kemiyondo Coutinho, Shaun Toub, Haaz Sleiman, Angela Lin, Conphidance, Jearnest Corchado
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 2
Little America flew under the radar when it premiered in early 2020, barely a couple of months after Apple TV+ launched. But don’t sleep on this beautiful hidden gem of a show. Written by Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, and Lee Eisenberg, this anthology is based on true stories published in Epic Magazine’s “Little America” feature. Each episode follows the challenges and wins of different immigrants who’ve made this country their home. Here’s a bit from our review: “The series is striking because of how much story is moved along in a half-hour without feeling overstuffed. The script and cinematography are immersive, whether the setting is a Minnesota state fair, a New York City fried chicken restaurant, or a lavish Beverly Hills mansion. ”
Stars: Maya Rudolph, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Joel Kim Booster, Ron Funches, Nat Faxon, Adam Scott, Olivier Martinez, Stephanie Styles
Number of seasons: 2
Matt Hubbard and Alan Yang co-created a star vehicle for s Maya Rudolph, who eats up her role in Loot. She plays Molly Novak, a recent divorcee who wins $87 billion after splitting from her cheating billionaire husband. With no idea how to handle her wealth, Molly begins working at the charity she founded years ago and finds an unexpected set of friends in the process. The workplace comedy is a solid comfort watch aided by a hilarious ensemble. The show has been renewed for season three.
Stars: Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Nate Mann, Anthony Boyle, Ncuti Gatwa, Laurie Davidson, Nikolai Kinski, Joanna Kulig
Number of seasons: 1
The World War II drama Masters Of The Air serves as a companion piece to HBO hits Band Of Brothers and The Pacific. It centers on Gale “Buck” Cleven and John “Bucky” Egan, who lead the 100th Bomb Group, which goes on intense missions inside German-occupied Europe. Naturally, wartime tests their friendships and relationships as well.
Stars: Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Anders Holm, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Mari Yamamoto, John Goodman, Joe Tippett
Number of seasons: 1
Believe it or not, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters is a good Godzilla series. It’s thrilling, fast-paced, and yes, features the actual creatures in enough doses. Monarch is set in two different timelines: In the ‘60s, Bill Randa, and Keiko Miura are involved with a covert organization to monitor the Titans. In 2015, half-siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa’s investigation into their missing father uncovers secrets from years past. The connecting thread between them is Lee Shaw, played by the father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell in each generation. Apple TV+ is set to expand the franchise with a second season and multiple spinoffs.
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Steve Carell, Juliana Marguiles, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jon Hamm
Number of seasons: 3
The Morning Show is many things—soapy, star-studded, entertaining, often ridiculous, sometimes smart—but it’s never boring. Set in the world of morning news, the drama follows expert TV anchor Alex Levy (Aniston) and relative newcomer Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon). Despite their shaky friendship, they navigate corporate politics and timely news stories at UBA. While every actor is commendable, The Morning Show belongs almost entirely to Emmy-winner Billy Crudup.
Stars: Rob McEllhenny, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, David Hornsby, Imani Hakim, F. Murray Abraham, Jessie Ennis, Caitlin McGee, Naomi Ekperigin
Number of seasons: 3
Mythic Quest hails from the team behind It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so you already know this workplace comedy is full of hijinks, wacky comedy, and an even wackier set of characters. The show chronicles a video game company run by the egotistical Ian Grimm (McElhenney), who often clashes with fellow lead engineer and egoist Poppy Li (Nicdao) and the rest of his team. But even with all the wackiness, Mythic Quest somehow finds inventive ways to be relevant, sharp, and surprisingly emotional.
Stars: Minha Kim, Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Soji Arai, Jeong In-ji, Han Jun-woo, Kaho Minami, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, Jung Eun-chae
Number of seasons: 1
Based on Min Jin Lee’s sprawling novel of the same name, Pachinko is an endearing, intricately woven tale of generations of a single Korean immigrant family. The focal point is Sunja, whose journey is covered from her simple, traumatic childhood to her twilight years in Japan. Despite tackling some heavy topics, Pachinko consistently remains heartwarming and visually stunning (hat-tip to Justin Chon and Kogonada’s alluring direction). The show’s second season premieres August 23.
Stars: Rose Byrne, Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Geoffrey Arend, Paul Sparks, Ashley Liao, Della Saba, Murray Bartlett
Number of seasons: 3
Get ready to marvel at one of Byrne’s best, most immersive performances in Physical, a dark comedy set in 1980s San Diego. Byrne plays Sheila Rubin, a quietly tormented wife who embarks on a mission of self-discovery with the help of aerobics. (Jane Fonda really is inspirational, huh?) While her husband runs for office in the State Assembly, Sheila makes it her mission to turn her newfound passion into a successful business and transform into a radical female lifestyle guru.
Stars: Keegan Michael-Key, Cecily Strong, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski, Jaime Camil, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Dove Cameron, Ann Harada
Number of seasons: 2
Schmigadoon! is a delightful homage to the many musicals it pays tribute to with its songs. The show follows a couple stranded in the whimsical titular town whose residents perpetually live in Golden Age-style musicals. the pair arrives in “Schmicago,” a town brimming with the sexy musicals of the ’60s and ’70s. The original tracks are quirky earworms, and Krakowski gives an awards-worthy performance. What’s not to love?
Stars: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Rupert Grint, Nell Tiger Free, Tony Revolori, Boris McGiver, Todd Waring, Katie Lee Hill
Number of seasons: 4
Trust M. Night Shyamalan to produce one of TV’s weirdest shows in recent memory. Servant is a twisted and chilling story of the Turner family, who lose their 13-week-old son Jericho in an accident. Dorothy and Sean resort to using an unborn doll to cope, even hiring a nanny, Leanne, to help. But it turns out that Leanne is an ex-cult member with powers—one who resuscitates this figure into a human baby again. It’s an entertaining, darkly comedic, and bizarre show.
Stars: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman
Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1
Severance is pretty damn stunning. Created by Dan Erickson (with Ben Stiller as a producer and director), the thriller builds tension and anxiety with each passing episode, leading up to an edge-of-your-seat season-one finale. The series centers on the employees of a conglomerate named Lumon, most of whom have severed memories (that is, they forget their private lives once they reach work). Severance also boasts career-best turns by Scott and Cherry, plus commendable breakout performances by Lower and Tillman. Season two kicks off on January 17, 2025.
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Phillipa Soo, Chris Chalk, Jamie Bell, Amy Brenneman, Madeline Brewer, Erika Alexander
Number of seasons: 1
Let’s admit it outright: is quite complex. Silka Luisa’s limited series, based on Lauren Beukes’ acclaimed novel, has several interesting but labyrinthine plotlines. It’s a good thing an ace cast carries it all the way through. The eight-part show follows Kirby Mazrachi, a newspaper archivist who teams up with journalist Dan Velazquez to try and capture a time-traveling serial killer who attacked Kirby and left her for dead. The two trace how he has violated women across multiple decades and cities, leaving Kirby questioning her reality and understanding of time.
Stars: Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell, Kathryn Hahn, Casey Wilson, Cornell Womack, Sarayu Blue
Number of seasons: 1
The cast alone is a reason to watch The Shrink Next Door, but this limited series flips the script on the leading duo Rudd and Ferrell. For a change, Ferrell plays the subdued and shy Martin “Marty” Markowitz, while Rudd is the loud and effervescent Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf. Based on a heartbreaking real story, the show unpacks how Ike, a therapist, took advantage of Marty’s vulnerabilities for financial gain. The A.V. Club‘s review states: “The series immerses audiences in the lives of its lead characters to elicit two distinct reactions: sympathy for one, indignation for the other. The tension that grows over eight-hour-long episodes can feel redundant and aggravating at times, but the payoff is well worth it.”
Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, Harriet Walter, Avi Nash, Rick Gomez, Tim Robbins
Number of seasons: 1
The A.V. Club’s persistent readers are right: Silo is excellent. Graham Yost’s sci-fi drama, based on Hugh Howey’s novels, is set in a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo comprising 144 levels. Ferguson plays Juliette Nichols, an engineer working on the lower levels who gets caught up in a murder mystery that sheds light on bigger conspiracies and threats within the silo. Apple TV+ has renewed the series for a second season, which will arrive in late 2024.
Stars: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung
Number of seasons: 3
Slow Horses is a quintessential British spy drama. Based on Mick Herron’s novels of the same name, it centers on MI5 spies who are exiled to Slough House, a sort of administrative purgatory led by Jackson Lamb (Oldman). They thought they signed up for boring day-to-day but soon find themselves part of dangerous missions. Luckily for us, the show’s fourth season premieres September 4.
Stars: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Lukita Maxwell, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Ted McGinley, Heidi Gardner
Number of seasons: 1
Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein team up for another winning comedy. Shrinking is another heartwarming TV show that features tremendous performances, especially, in this case, from Harrison Ford and Williams. It centers on grief-stricken therapist Jimmy Laird (Segel), who tries to move on after the death of his wife with the help of his friends and daughter. He also has a newfound, pretty aggressive approach to therapy, which may or may not result in massive changes in his patients’ lives. The show has scored a second-season renewal.
Stars: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Caleel Harris, Isaiah Hill, Tessa Ferrer, Shinelle Azoroh, James Bingham, Quvenzhané Wallis, Tristan Wilds
Number of seasons: 2
Reggie Rock Bythewood’s sports drama Swagger, loosely based on the life of NBA player Kevin Durant, has a lot going for it: With nuanced storytelling and excellent direction, the series explores the world of youth basketball, including the players, their families, and the coaches who walk the fine line between opportunism and corruption.
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, Phil Dunster
Number of seasons: 3
There’s a reason everyone adores Ted Lasso. Not only did this award-winning comedy’s debut blow up Apple TV+ subscriptions, but it became a surprisingly hot topic for internet discourse. Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, who moves from Kansas to the U.K. to coach a struggling English football team. His optimism surprises everyone—and it turns out that an upbeat and cheery comedy is exactly what we all need right now.
Stars: Octavia Spencer, Mekhi Phifer, Merle Dandridge, Michael Beach, Ron Cephas Jones, Haneefah Wood, Tracie Thoms
Number of seasons: 3
Truth Be Told, loosely based on Kathleen Barber’s novel Are You Sleeping?, stars a terrific Octavia Spencer as true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell, who digs into a new case each season: a murdered Stanford professor in the first (which co-stars Aaron Paul and Lizzy Caplan), the death of a filmmaker in the second (which boasts Kate Hudson), and disappearances of several young Black high schoolers in the third (which features Gabrielle Union).
Stars: Rafe Spall, Esther Smith, Sian Brooke, Darren Boyd, Phil Davis, Imelda Staunton, Ophelia Lovibond, Oliver Chris
Number of seasons: 4
The British comedy Trying tackles serious parenting issues with dry yet endearing humor. Nikki and Jason are a married couple who struggle to conceive, so they decide to adopt a baby, welcoming a bunch of challenges in the process. The fourth season, which wrapped up in July, took a six-year time jump to help us immerse ourselves in their family life. (There’s no word yet on season five, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.)
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